Sheeting holder



April 5, 1960 H. vK. DE WITT SHEETING HOLDER Filed Feb. 14, 1955 Unitedtates Patent SHEETING HOLDER Harry K. De Witt, Wilmette, Ill., assignerto American Hospital Supply Corporation, Evanston, Ill., a corporationof Illinois Application February 14, 1955, Serial No. 487,961

2 Claims. (Cl. Ztl-72.5)

This invention relates to a sheeting holder, and is particularly usefulas a means for holding elastic sheeting or the like on a hospital bed,etc.

In the use of rubber sheeting, and the like, on patients beds inhospitals, it has .been the practice to stitch to the sheets pieces ofmuslin on each side so that the muslin could be tucked under themattress to secure the rubber sheeting in position. The muslin, however,becomes dirty and it is necessary to send the entire sheet to thelaundry for cleaning. Further, the muslin becomes torn and isunsatisfactory for use vlong before the sheeting is worn out. Further,it is easy for the muslin to work loose .and thus to fail to provide thesupport necessary for maintaining the rubber sheeting in a tautcondition. If means could be provided for maintaining the rubbersheeting constantly in a taut condition while at the same timepermitting the sheeting to be cleaned when desired with a colddetergent, etc., the need for sending the piece to the laundry would beeliminated and at the same time the sheeting could be preserved inbetter condition.

An object of the present invention is to provide means for eliminatingthe muslin heretofore required and to provide effective means forconstantly holding the sheeting in taut and even condition. A furtherobject is `to provide simple and inexpensive means which may be employedfor gripping rubber sheeting and securing it under tension while at thesame time permitting ready release of the sheeting for cleaning, etc.Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specificationproceeds.

The invention is shown, in an illustrative embodiment, by theaccompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a top plan view of a bedprovided with rubber sheeting and with securing means embodying myinvention; Fig. 2, a side elevational view, shown partly in section, andon an enlarged scale; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the sheeting holderor securing means; Fig. 4, a top plan view of the clamp employed, theview being taken as indicated at line 4 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, alongitudinal sectional View of the clamp shown in Fig. 4, the clampbeing in released position; and Fig. 6, a view similar to Fig. 5 butshowing the clamp in engaging position.

In the illustration given, designates a bed frame equipped with a springrail 11. Since the bed and spring vrail are of well-known construction,a detailed description herein is believed unnecessary. A- mattress 12 issupported over the spring rail 1'1 and the spring 13- carried thereby.Over the mattress 12 extends sheeting 14, which may be formed of rubber,plastic, or any other suitable material. The sheeting may extend overthe entire bed or only over a portion thereof. In the illustrationgiven, I provide clamps 15 which engage the corners of the sheet 14 andthe clamps are secured by a rubber or elastic belt 16 to a hook 17engageable with the spring rail 11, as illustrated in Fig. 2. It will beunderstood that the hook or fastening member 17 may be engaged with anysuitable ledge carried by the bed or spring frame.

The belt or strap 16 extends through a loop 18 carried by the hook 17,and at its other end extends through a slot 19 Awith which the rearportion of the clamp 15 is provided. Buckles 2.0 and Z1 are provided topermit lengthwise adjustment of the resilient strap 16.

The clamp 15 is formed of two spring metal plates 22 and 23, the platesbeing securedV together at their rear by rivets 24. The plates 22 and 23have diverging forwardly-extending spring portions so as to providenormally open forward jaws 25. The jaw portions 25 are preferably bentinwardly so as to provide normally parallel front surfaces equipped ontheir inner sides with superficial roughening or knurling 26. I preferto have the knurling in the form of transverselyeextending ribs orridges for effectively gripping the sheeting edges.

Each of the plates 22 and 2.3 is provided With an aligned longitudinalslot 27 adapted to receive a pin 28 provided at its ends with circularflanges or buttons 29. As the buttons 29 are moved rearwardly to theposition shown in Fig. 5, the jaws of the clamp are opened and when thebuttons are moved forwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 6, the jaws of theclamp are urged together to grip the sheeting 14 therebetween.

Operation In the operation of the structure, the sheeting 14 is placedin position upon the top of the bed and the side portions of thesheeting are engaged by the clamps 15. The hooks 17 may then be engagedwith the spring ledge or other suitable ledge on the bed frame foranchoring the sheeting 14 firmly in position. The adjustable strapspermit the location of the sheeting 14 centrally upon the bed or towardone or the other side, as desired. Even though the sheeting 14 istemporarily moved or twisted out of position, the resilient straps 16instantly draw the sheeting back into taut iiat condition when thesheeting is released. The flat clamp devices lying adjacent the edge ofthe bed occupy a minimum of space and present substantially noobstruction, while at the same time they draw the sheeting to itsdesired flat and taut condition. If desired, the sheeting 14 may beextended for the full width of the mattress and the clamps may beutilized solely in a vertical position, gripping the edge portions ofthe sheeting 14 which extend beyond the top of the bed.

The strap or webbing 16 may be formed of rubber, artificial rubber,plastic such as nylon, or any other suitable plastic or material.

While, in the foregoing specication, I have set forth a specificstructure in considerable detail for the purpose of illustrating theinvention, it will be understood that such details of structure may bevaried widely by those skilled in the art Without departing from thespirit of my invention.

I claim:

l. A sheeting holder adapted to secure sheeting and to maintain the sametaut upon a bed having a ledge, comprising a flat clamp having a pair ofjaws, said jaws comprising a pair of elongated spring sheet metal plateseach of substantially uniform width and having rear end portionsconnected to each other, intermediate portions extending forwardly andoutwardly, and flat front end portions normally spaced from each other,said fiat front portions each having a width at least as great as thelength thereof and being provided with knurled opposing surfaces forgripping sheeting therebetween, means extending between the intermediateportions of said plates for drawing the intermediate and flat front endportions of the paired plates towards and away from each other, anelastic strap secured at one end to said clamp, and a hook carried bythe other end of said strap for connecting said holder to the ledge of abed.

2. ln a sheeting holder having an elastic strap equipped at one endthereof with a hook for attachment to the ledge of a bedfrarne, a clampsecured to said elastic strap Vat the opposite end thereof, said clampcomprising a pair of flat elongated sheet metal plates ofsubstantiallyunirform width having rear end portions secured to each other and havingintermediate portions extending forwardly and in normally divergingrelation, said clamp also having flat forward end portions extendingnormally along spaced parallel planes, said end portions each having awidth at least as great as their length and having ribbed opposingsurfaces for gripping sheeting therebetween, and means extending betweenthe intermediate portions v of said plates for drawing the normallyspaced and References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS 318,914 Kiam ,May 26, 1885 696,302 Bassett Mar. 25, 19021,095,564 Engelsman *May 5, 1914 1,167,040 Blake Ian. 4, 1916 1,328,621Dennison Ian. 20,' 1920 1,365,169 Goldberg Ian. 1l, 1921 1,913,965 VanVechten June 13, 1933 1,987,592

Bodmer Jan. Y15, 1935

